Early Origins of the Verreault family

The surname Verreault was first found in Gascony (French: Gascogne), an area of southwest France bordering Spain, that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution, where the family was established in Veyreau, a village in the department of Aveyron, in the district of Millau.

Early History of the Verreault family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Verreault research.Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1828 is included under the topic Early Verreault History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Verreault Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Verreault is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Verreaud, Verreault, Verreaulx, Verrauld, Verrault, Verraulx, Verraud, Verraut, Verraux, Verreau, Verreaux, Verrot, Verret, Verré, Verrat, Verrier, Leverrier, Verrière and many more.

Early Notables of the Verreault family (pre 1700)

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Migration of the Verreault family to the New World and Oceana

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec, in 1663 there were only 500, 2,000 migrants arrived during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. Youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Migration from France to New France or Quebec as it was now more popularly called, continued from France until it fell in 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many distinguished contributions have been made by members of this family name Verreault. It has been prominent in the arts, religion, politics and culture in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Verreault were Barthélemi Verreau, who married Marthe Quitel in Château-Richer in 1665; Prisque Verreau, who married Marguerite Prieur in Quebec City in 1731.

Contemporary Notables of the name Verreault (post 1700)

Pamphile-Gaspard Verreault (1832-1906), Canadian farmer and politician, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for L'Islet (1867-1878), eponym of the town of Saint-Pamphile